Single Gene Lets Bacteria Jump From Host To Host
All life — plants, animals, people — depends on peaceful coexistence with a swarm of microbial life that performs vital services from helping to convert food to energy to protection from disease.
Now, with the help of a squid that uses a luminescent bacterium to create a predator-fooling light organ and a fish that uses a different strain of the same species of bacteria like a flashlight to illuminate the dark nooks of the reefs where it lives, scientists have found that gaining a single gene is enough for the microbe to switch host animals.
The finding, reported this week (Feb. 1) in the journal Nature by a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is important not only because it peels back some of the mystery of how bacteria evolved to colonize different animals, but also because it reveals a genetic pressure point that could be manipulated to thwart the germs that make us sick.
“It seems that every animal we know about has microbes associated with it,” says Mark J. Mandel, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. “We pick up our microbial partners from the environment and they provide us with a raft of services from helping digestion to protection from disease.”
In the Pacific, a species of bacteria known as Vibrio fischeri lives in luminescent harmony with two distinct hosts: the diminutive nocturnal bobtail squid and the reef-dwelling pinecone fish. In the squid, which feeds at night near the ocean surface, one strain of the bacterium forms a light organ that mimics moonlight and acts like a cloaking device to shield the squid from hungry predators below. In the pinecone fish, another strain of the bacterium colonizes a light organ within the animal’s jaw and helps illuminate the dark reefs in which it forages at night. The fish light organ may also play a role in attracting the zooplankton that make up the pinecone fish’s menu.
But how did a single species of bacteria come to terms with such different hosts?
Working in the UW-Madison laboratory of microbiologist Ned Ruby, Mandel and his colleagues scoured the genomes of the two different strains of V. fischeri and found that most of the bacterium’s genetic architecture was conserved over the course of millions of years of evolutionary history, but with a key difference: The strain that colonizes the squid has a regulatory gene that controls other genes that lay down a biofilm that allows the microbe to colonize the animal’s light organ.
“During squid colonization, this regulatory gene turns on a suite of genes that allow bacteria to colonize the squid through mucus produced by the animal,” Mandel explains. “The mucus is the pathway to the light organ, but it also helps keep out the bad guys.”
Both strains of bacteria, Mandel explains, have the same genes that produce the biofilms the bacterium needs to get established in its host. But the regulatory gene that sets the other biofilm genes in motion is absent in the strain that lives in the pinecone fish, the animal scientists believe was first colonized by V. fischeri before it moved in to the squid light organ when the squid family came onto the scene in the Pacific Ocean at least 30 million years ago.
“The regulatory gene entered the bacterium’s lineage and allowed it to expand its host range into the squid,” according to Mandel. “The bottom-line message of the paper is that bacteria can shift host range by modifying their capabilities with small regulatory changes.”
The regulatory gene acquired by the bacterium, notes Ruby, is essentially a switch the organism uses to activate a set of genes that had been residing quietly in the V. fischeri genome. Such mechanisms, he says, are very likely at play in many other species of bacteria, including those that infect humans and cause illness.
“This is going to inform a question that has been around a long time in the area of pathogenesis,” says Ruby. One line of thought is that “in order to become a pathogen, a whole suite of genes needs to be imported to a bacterium.”
The new finding by his group, however, suggests that nature is far more parsimonious: Instead of requiring organisms to acquire many new genes to occupy a new host, the combination of a new regulatory gene and genes that already reside in a bacterium is enough to do the trick.
“Together, they can do something neither of them could do before. They can mix and match and open up new niches,” says Ruby.
Knowing that a regulatory gene plays a key role in allowing an organism to fit a new host may prove useful in human medicine as many bacterial pathogens arose first in other animals before infecting humans. A single gene can be a much easier target for a drug or other intervention to prevent or mitigate infection, the Wisconsin scientists say.
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The article that I chose to read is called “Single Gene Lets Bacteria Jump from host to host”.The facts that stood out were 1.That two different animals can use the same bacteria for diffrent puposes.2.certain bacteria found in the environment can help with digestion and protection from disease in humans.3.When these squid colonize this special gene helps the bacteria create mucus that helps in making a way to the light organ while also keeping it safe from bad bacteria.4.I learned that the squid families in the article were in existance for at least 30 million years .5. I also found out that a regulatory gene plays an important role in allowing an organism to fit a new host, which may be useful in human medicine. This article showed how connected all living organisms really are.
It is interesting that squids and fish use the same bacteria for different purposes.
The squid family came to the pacific ocean over 30 million years ago.
A bacteria called vibrio fischeri ,a bobtail squid,and a reef dwelling pinecone fish survives in luminescent harmony
Ned Ruby found that bacteriam genetic architecture was evolved over millions years.
The regulatory gene acquired by the bacterium are likely to play with other species of bacteria including those that infect humans and cause illness.
1.The squid has a luminescent bacterium to attract fish.
2.The bacteria in the squid to make the light makes humans sick.
3.A bacteria called Vibrio fischeri in the Pacific was made by the diminutive nocturnal bobtail squid.
4.The light of the squid attracts zooplanktons.
5.The bacteria in the squid is over 30 million years old.
1.all life dependes onpeaceful coexistence with a swarm of microbial life that performs vital services from helping to convert food to energy to protection from disease.
2.Now, with the help of a squid that uses a luminescent bacterium to create a predator-fooling light organ and a fish that uses a different strain of the same species of bacteria like a flashlight to illuminate the dark nooks of the reefs where it lives,
3.scientists have found that gaining a single gene is enough for the microbe to switch host animals.
4.Nature by a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is important not only because it peels back some of the mystery of how bacteria evolved to colonize different animals, but also because it reveals a genetic pressure point that could be manipulated to thwart the germs that make us sick.
5.It seems that every animal we know about has microbes associated with it
All life depend on microbial life that performs vital services. Now, with the help of a squid that uses a luminescent bacterium to create a predator-fooling light organ and a fish that uses a different strain of the same species of bacteria like a flashlight to illuminate the dark nooks of the reefs where it lives, scientists have found that gaining a single gene is enough for the microbe to switch host animals. The finding happened Feb. 1st. In the Pacific, a species of bacteria known as Vibrio fischeri lives in luminescent harmony with two distinct hosts: the diminutive nocturnal bobtail squid and the reef-dwelling pinecone fish.Knowing that a regulatory gene plays a key role in allowing an organism to fit a new host may prove useful in human medicine as many bacterial pathogens arose first in other animals before infecting humans. A single gene can be a much easier target for a drug or other intervention to prevent or mitigate infection, the Wisconsin scientists say.
Article Summary:
1.A squid uses a luminescent bacterium to create a predator-fooling light organ
2. Mark J. Mandel is a the lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in the UW Madison school of medicine and public health.
3. A fishes light Organ might play a part in attracting zooplankton that form a pinecones fish’s menu.
4.The bacteria in a Squid is Over 30 million years old according to Mark J. Mandel
5.Ned Ruby points out that the regulatory gene acquired by the bacterium is essentially a switch the organism uses to activate a set of genes that had been residing quietly in the V. fischeri genome.
1. squids and fish use the same bacteria.
2. squid families came to the pacific 30 million years ago.
3. the light of the squid attracts zooplankton.
4. the bacteria in squid is almost 30 million years old.
5. a squid uses a luminesent bacteria to createa predator-fooling light organ.
-About every animal we know today hasmicrobes associated in it.
-Both Bacteria and Mandel have the same the same genes that produce the biofilms the bacterium needs to get established in its host.
-Scientist found out that even a little gene of squid is enough for the microbe to swich host.
-This gene of squid is very important to the world because it can minipulate all the bacteria that gets us sick.
1.All people.plants,animals all depend on peace
2.squids use a luminastant bactier
3.scientist trying find how bacteria envovles
4.scientist belive that there is a bacteria is not a germ.
5.mystery on how to get rid of bacteria
1. I have learn that some little organism have to live in peaceful waters to live.
2. they also dont really eat at all.
1. they have to live in peaceful waters to live.
2. they live in different water then we drink or bath in.
1. Squids and fish use the same bacteria but for different purposes
2.The finding happened Feb. 1st. In the Pacific, a species of bacteria known as Vibrio fischeri lives in luminesccent harmony with two distinct hosts, the diminutive nocturnal bobtail squid and the reef-dwelling pinecone fish.
3. The bacteria in squids are almost 30 million years old.
4. Ned Ruby found that bacteriam genetic architecture was evolved over millions years
5. A fishes light Organ might play a part in attracting zooplankton that form a pinecones fish’s menu.
1. Squids and fish use the same bacteria but for different purposes
2.The finding happened Feb. 1st. In the Pacific, a species of bacteria known as Vibrio fischeri lives in luminesccent harmony with two distinct hosts, the diminutive nocturnal bobtail squid and the reef-dwelling pinecone fish.
3. The bacteria in squids are almost 30 million years old.
4. Ned Ruby found that bacteriam genetic architecture was evolved over millions years
5. A fishes light Organ might play a part in attracting zooplankton that form a pinecones fish’s menu.
Article Summary for January 11, 2009
1. The light of the squid attracts zooplanktons.
2. The bacteria in the squid is over 30 million years old.
3. The squid has a luminescent bacterium to attract fish.
4. They bacteria in the squid to make the light makes humans sick.
5. They have to live in peaceful waters in order to surive.
1. All life plants, animals, people depend on peaceful coexsistance.
2. The bacteria in squids are over 30 million years old.
3. The squid has a luminescent bacterium to attract fish.
4. The bacteria in the squid make light that can make humans ill.
5. Squids do not eat alot
Article Summary:
1.A squid uses a luminescent bacterium to create a predator-fooling light organ
2. Mark J. Mandel is a the lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in the UW Madison school of medicine and public health.
3. A fishes light Organ might play a part in attracting zooplankton that form a pinecones fish’s menu.
4.The bacteria in a Squid is Over 30 million years old according to Mark J. Mandel
5.Ned Ruby points out that the regulatory gene acquired by the bacterium is essentially a switch the organism uses to activate a set of genes that had been residing quietly in the V. fischeri genome
All life plants, animals, people depends on peaceful coexistence with a swarm of microbial life. The luminescent bacterium used by squid to fool preators, scientists have found that gaining a single gene is enough for the microbe to switch host animals. The Vibrio Fischeri lives in luminescent harmony with two distinct hosts: the diminutive nocturnal bobtail squid and the reef-dwelling pinecone fish. The squid has a regulatory gene giving it the controls for other genes that lay down a biofilm. Allowing microbes to colonize the animal’s light organ.
A squid uses a bacterium called luminescent.
They use luminescent to create a predator fooling light.
The bacterium light can make humans sick.
Squids hardly eat
They have to live in calm waters to survive.
1. squids and fish use the same bacteria.
2. squid families came to the pacific 30 million years ago.
3. the light of the squid attracts zooplankton.
4. the bacteria in squid is almost 30 million years old.
5. a squid uses a luminesent bacteria to createa predator-fooling light organ.
1.The squid has a luminescent bacterium to attract fish.
2.A bacteria called Vibrio fischeri in the Pacific was made by the diminutive nocturnal bobtail squid.
3.The bacteria in the squid to make the light makes humans sick.
4.The light of the squid attracts zooplanktons.
5.The bacteria in the squid is over 30 million years old.
1)The bacteria in the squid to make the light makes humans sick.
2)The squid has a luminescent bacterium to attract fish.
3)The bacteria in the squid is over 30 million years old.
4)A bacteria called Vibrio fischeri in the Pacific was made by the diminutive nocturnal bobtail squid.
5)The light of the squid attracts zooplanktons.